Means for transferring designs to printing surfaces



Nov. 10, 1931. P. G. ROBINSON ET AL 1,331,754

MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING DESIGNS TO PRINTING SURFACES Filed May 23, 1950 2 Shees- Sheet 1 NOV. 10, 1931. ROBINSON ET AL 1,831,754

MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING DESIGNS TO PRINTINGSURFACES Filed May 23, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m in d1), g g/g b' n 0.3- ?grvera/Arr, 23 1 9 aeglgfl f Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES. PATE T oF cef, Y

PERCY GOTOH ROBINSON, THOMASSHIRLEY- FOWERAKER, I-IAROLDHOLMYARD V nnnsnmgnivn TOM sanonlvr, or BRISTOL,- ENGLAND MEANS non rnANsFEnnrNen-Esieivs To PRINTING SURFACES 1 Application flledMay 2a, 1930, Seria1No. 455,093, and in Great Britain wh n; 1927.

This invention relates to lithographi'chor In carrying theinvention into effect according to one convenient mode as applied to" other printing operations Where an image.

(hereinafter referred to as original) is transferred to a printing forme, and the invention isespecially suitable for transferrmg a single design or a group of designs from a prepared lithographic'stone or plate, letterpress plate, sketch or like on to another andusually larger plate of zinc, aluminum or the like, the single design or group of designs beingtransferred or offs et on tothe surface of the larger plate'or may be repeated a number of times thereon, these offset or transferred impressions being capableof being distances.

More particularly the spaced one from the other at predetermined invention relates to machines for transferring designs to print iug surfaces of the type wherein a cylmdr1cal forme support has designs or the like transferred to it by the aid "0 one surface upon the 0th f rollingcontact of er'in the absence of gears for obtaining the relative transfer movement.

An aim of the invention is to provide improved means or devices adapted'mechanically to transfer design with facility and accuracy to a printing forme in anydesired predetermined relation-f ship or repetition.

s from an original The present invention comprises apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces of the type described wherein the cylindrical .w forme support is pivotally mounted and 1s displaceable by the pivotal movement into contact with an original.

The original may comprlse a plane surface adapted to begiven a rectilinear displacement to cause rotation of the printing forme. Further features of the invention will be hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying ing a machine according Figure 1 is a front elev drawings illustratc to the invention; ation, 7

Figure 2 is a corresponding plan,

evation to a larger n of stop means for the transfer of designs from anorifginal haw mg a reciprocating movement, directly to a printing v cylinder or cylinder carrying" a curved plate a bed or frame 4 is provided for the support of the original 5, W11

ich is adjustably mounted upon a carriage 6 support ed uponthe slides 7 of an intermediate carriage 8, Which in turn is mounted slides9 of the frame ll V The carriage 8extends the full upon the" width of the machine between the supports or side frames 10 upon which the cylinder or forme 11 is pivotally mounted bythe side levers 12.

The carriage 6 and the original may thus be reciprocated parallel to the axis of the cylinbeing controlled by thehand Wheel 14, adapted to rotate the nut through the worm and worm Wheel 15, 16. A graduated scale 17,'

the axial position of the original.

, witha hair-line device having a micrometer achustmg screw 18 is provided for indicating Movement of the original 5 transverse to the forme cylinder llis effected by by any other convenient means.

The cylinder 11 is rotatab-ly m the chain andsprockets 19, 20' and hand wheel 21 or ounted in the side levers 12 and is provided with stops 22 for engagement with the jaw stop 23 carried also by the lever 12. Rotati cylinder is effected by the hand and gear Wheel 25.

Pressure between the cylinder an is 'obtainedby connecting the frame 12 by link 26'to the lever 27 mounted upon on of the wheel 24 d original s or levers the shaft 28 carrying the weightedlever 29, the weight 30 0f which forces the cylinder 11doWn onto the original 5. The

lifting of the cylinderis obtained by-a pivoting of the Weighted lever 29 by the hand lever 31, the. armr32 ofwhich carries a roller 33 bearing upon one armof the lever 29. The figure shows the parts in the non-contac and by'movingjthe hand lever 31 t the weight becomes effective,

t position otheleft',"

A counter-weight 38 is provided for balancing the cylinder 11.

In addition to the adjustable stop devices 22, 23 provided for limiting or setting the rotary movement of the cylinder, stops may be provided for the reciprocating movement of the original.

The stops used in connection with the original 5 comprise projections 34 on the bed 8 which are adapted to engage adjustable stops 35 carried by plates and fixed in position by bolts engaging the undercut grooves 36 in the frame 4. The stops 35 are readily removable from. the plates 37 so that should it be necessary to move the original nearer to the cylinder the right-hand stop (see Figure .2) may be removed so that the corresponding projection 34 becomes inoperative and the bed 8 is brought to rest by the lefthand stop.

An alternative construction for determining longitudinal displacement of the original is shown in Figure 4; a stop bar 39 is provided and is carried in bearings 40 on the carriage 8. The bar is provided with a number of longitudinal slots 41 in which admovement is imparted.

justable stops 42 are located so that a pluralityof series of stops is provided which are displaced along the bar as desired. a The bar is adapted to be rotated to bring the desired series of stops into position to be engaged by a pivoted indicator or pointer 43 which is carried upon the original support 6. The bar is prevented from rotating by a pivoted catch 44 which engages in one of the slots The pointer 43 is counterweighted so that it will be constrained to contact with a stop when in. the vertical position and by reason of its pivoted support it will ride over the stops, when relative longitudinal Longitudial displacement of the stop bar for a purpose hereinafter referred to may be effected by a hand wheel45 having a screwed shank 46 which. operates in the nut 4'? fixed in the bearing 40. Backlash is taken up by the spring 48.

The periphery of the hand wheel is graduated and an indicator 49 provided so that the amount of longitudinal displacement of the stop bar may be determined.

In operation the original is reciprocated inwardly towards the cylinder until one or other of the projections 34 engages the corresponding stop 35. The cylinder having been rotated and set by the appropriate stop 22 is then displaced vertically into'contact withthe original which is then moved outwardly so that the cylinder rolls upon the original, receiving the impression in perfect replica. I a

The operation may be repeated in order to transfer to the cylinder a series or group of designs in any desired spacing or cont-iguous relationship, or a group .of superimposed designs spaced one 1 from the other.

pared for onecolour or character of printing,

while another or other plate or plates will be prepared fortheother-colours or characteristics. It will be appreciated that the dis'position'of the designs upon the various plates must be such that when utilized for printing purposes the designs onthe various plates may be brought into accurate register. Owing, however, to unavoidable alterations which take place, such ,for example as the shrinkage or expansion of the paper, it is insufficient to transfer the design impressions corresponding with the various colours in exactly the same relative positions upon each plate. Allowance or accommodation must be providedfor which corresponds with the distortion, shrinkage or other variation which may arise in the printing process. According to the invention in order to overcome the above defects and provide an apparatus in which actual colour printing registration may be eif-ec-ted, the axial displacement of the original may be provided with micrometer means or adjustments to allow for the cleviations or distortions referred to above. For example, the hair-line device may be displaceable' relatively to its mounting by a micrometer adjusting device 18.

Before stepping the original from one position to another in accordance with markings equivalent to the arrangement of the stops, the hair-line is displaced backwards or forwards by means of the micrometer adjustment to a degree predetermined according to the amount of shinkage or contraction, for example, of. the paper sothat in moving from one situation to another the actual dis= placement of the'original is not that which is represented between one mark and another but an increment or decrement of such displacement corresponding with the preliminary adjustment of the hair-line.

Alternatively, the bar or scale 17 used in conjunction with the hair-line may itself be displaceable by micrometer means to produce the same eifect.

In order totake care of the registration circumferentially of the plate or cylinder, the stops 22 utilized to. determine the position of the cylinder or form'e may be individually adjustable circumferentially; or the stops 22 may be mounted upon a disc or'bezel which iscapable of relative angular, adjustment with respect to the printing forme or the impressions thereon so that the position of the stops as a whole may be adjusted. I V

The bed or carriage for the original 5 is provided with an upper part 50 capable of rotational movement in a horizontal plane about the pivot 51 whereby the original may be rotated in order to alter the sense of the impressions transferred to the cylinder or forme. A pivoted catch 52 is provided on the bed 6 adapted to co-operate with stops 53 on the upper part 50 whereby the latter may be locked to the bed 6 in either of the adjusted positions. 7 v The initial adjustment of the original relatively to the bed 6 both laterally and vertically is efiected by the screw-adjusting devices 54 which are associated with the upper part 50 and a carrier or box 55 in which the original is disposed.

In order to locate or register the position of the original initially a setting gauge 56 (see Figure 2) is provided comprising a sheet of plate glass or other suitable transparent material which is provided with a pair of crossed hair-lines 57' or a transparency of the original design. The plate glass has a pair of ball-endedlocating plugs adapted to seat Within recesses in pillars 58 fixed upon the upper part 50 of tl e bed. The pillars are fixed relatively to the pivotal axis 51 and by use of the gauge the original is correctly set relatively to such axis.

' While the original described and illus trated comprises a plane reciprocating member, it is to be observed that a rotary or oscillatory original support as described with reference to Figure 7 of application Serial No. 281,835 may be provided.

' Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces comprising a cylindrical printing forme adapted to receive impressions from an originalby the aid of rolling contact of one surface upon the other for obtaining the relative transfer movement, said forme being pivotally mounted and displaceable by the pivotal movement into contact with the original.

2. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 1 wherein the original comprises a plane surface adapted to be given a rectilinear displacement to cause rotation of the printing forme.

3. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 1 wherein the original comprises a plane surface adapted to be given a rectilinear displacement to cause rotation of the printing forme, and wherein the original is mounted for displacement parallel to the axis of the printing forme for the purpose of transferring the design axially of the print-f ing forme. V 4. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printing forme is rotatably carried in a pivotally mounted frame-associated with a weighted lever arranged to secure a mechanical advanbe moved intoor out of contact with the original, and stops for determining the PO? sitionjof the original design and the printing forme relatively to oneanother.

6. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 5 comprismg a bed, a sup port for the original design slidingly mount- 7 ed on said bed, a pair of projections on said sliding support and adjustable stops removably mounted on said bed and adapted to be engaged by said projections for tl1e pur poses set forth.

' 7. Step and repeat apparatus for trans-- ferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 5 comprising a bed, a support for the original design slidingly mounted on 'said bed, a pair of projections on said sliding support and adjustable stops removably mounted on said bed and adapt ed to be engaged by said projections, and wherein the original design support is mounted forrotation about a vertical axis, and cooperating stops for holding said support with the design normal to the axis of the printing forme or at any other predetermined angle thereto. 7 V

.8. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as" claimed in claim 5 comprising a bed, a support for the original design slidingly mount- 'ed onsaid bed, a pair of projections on said sliding support, adjustable stops removably mounted on said bed and adapted to be engaged by said projections, and a removable hair-line gauge forinitially adjusting the design on said support, said gauge having projections adapted to engage in recesses in said support. a

9; Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces comprising a cylindrical printing forme adapted to receive impressions from an original by the aid of rolling contact of one surface upon the other for obtaining the relative transfer movement, a pivotally mounted frame in-whi'ch the printing forme is rotatably mounted whereby the forme may be moved into or out of contact with the original a bed, a carriage slidingly mounted on 5 said bed, a support for the original adjustable with respect to said carriage in-a direct-ion parallel to the aXis of the forme and stops for determining said axial position. 10. Step and repeat apparatus for trans- 6 ferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 9 wherein said stops comprise a pivoted pointer carried by the original support, a longitudinally slotted bar car- 7 ried by the bed, and adjustable stops in said 5 slot, the pointer being adapted to engage and override said stops.

11. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 9 wherein said stops com- 2o prise a pivoted pointer carried by the original support, a bar mounted for rotation on the bed and having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots, and adjustable stops in said slots, the pointer being adapted to engage in a predetermined slot and engage and override said stops.

12. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 9 wherein said stops com-- prise av pivoted pointer carried by the original support, a bar mounted for rotation on the bed and having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots, means for axial micrometer adjustment of the bar With respect to the bed, and adjustable stops in said slots, the pointer being adapted to engage in a predetermined slot and engage and override said stops. 7 13. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 5 wherein a head is arranged at an end of the cylindrical forme, and cooperating stops on said head and the pivotally mounted frame.

4 5 14. Step and repeat apparatus for transferring designs to printing surfaces as claimed in claim 5, wherein heads. are arranged at the ends of the cylindrical forme. adjustable stops carried by the heads, and forked members pivotally mounted on the pivotally mounted frame and adapted to engage said stops.

In testimony whereof We have signed our 4 names to this specification. PERCY GOTCH ROBINSON.

THOMAS SHIRLEY FOlVERAKER. HAROLD HOLMYARD BEASLEY. TOM SARGENT. 

